Just as spending a day under the summer sun without proper protection can leave you with a painful sunburn, an unfinished or out-of-date estate plan can inflict harm on you and your loved ones. In this newsletter, we explore the importance of creating a comprehensive estate plan to protect your legacy and...
Category: Taxes
What the Administration’s 2024 Revenue Proposals Mean for You and Your Estate Plan
Introduction
On March 9, 2023, the Biden administration released a proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, calling for an increase in federal spending along with a series of counterbalancing revenue raisers. The budget was outlined in a document called the “General Explanations of the Administration's FY2024 Revenue Proposals,” otherwise...
How a Community Property Trust Could Save You Money in Taxes
When it comes to your family’s legacy, every dollar you can save from taxation counts. One way to keep your accounts and property out of the hands of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is to form a community property trust.
How Does a Community Property Trust Work?
Investment and Distribution Trustees: Why Would I Need Both?
When creating a trust, it is common to name yourself as the initial trustee who is responsible for all aspects of administering the trust. However, when considering who will take over when you can no longer act (either because of illness or death), it is sometimes helpful to divide the responsibilities between...
Time to Brush Up on Your Estate Planning Etiquette
Important Probate Rules You Should Know
When a person dies, what happens next depends on whether the deceased person had any foundational estate planning documents such as a last will and testament (otherwise known as a will) or trust, who the living relatives are, and their relationship to the...
Four Important Considerations If You Win the Lottery
On February 14, 2023, California state lottery officials named the winner of the largest lottery prize in United States history: Edwin Castro won an eye-popping $2.04 billion in a November 2022 lottery drawing, choosing a lump sum payment of $997.6 million instead of annual payments over three decades.[1] A lottery...
Surviving Tax Season
Taxes That Can Impact Your Estate Plan
Estate planning involves deciding how to plan for the management of your money, property, and well-being before your death and how to distribute your money and property after your death. A comprehensive estate plan should consider the impact that taxes can have...
Three Things You Need to Do When Your Spouse Dies and Their Will or Trust Has a Disclaimer Provision
Losing your spouse is one of the most difficult things you might face in life. Although it is important to take time to grieve, there are also some crucial steps you need to take as soon as possible to address your spouse’s accounts and property and secure your own future.
Don’t Let Your Cryptocurrency Give You and Your Loved Ones Nightmares
Although cryptocurrency may be one of the latest investment strategies with great potential, for some individuals and their loved ones, investing in cryptocurrency has not gone as planned. The following stories are each a little different, but they all underline one simple warning: if you own cryptocurrency, you need a plan.
Winter Planning for a Great Spring
Retirement Planning Update
Although we are still in the midst of winter, spring is on its way. It is important to remember upcoming April deadlines for retirement contributions and required minimum distributions (RMDs), but there have also been some recent developments that may impact your retirement planning.